Asian Oilfield faces Manipur seismic protests

Asian Oilfield has brushed aside loud protests from villagers and NGOs in Manipur and reports little or no disruption to its 870-lkm 2D survey for Oil India.

Asian director Rohit Agarwal confirms that a 50-member crew took four shots on May 8 and that around 40 shots have been taken so far since Asian mobilised in March and began shooting in early April under a Rs142.86cr ($21m) contract won on January 16. Vocal protests during public consultations held by Nungba and Goinanglong village authorities on May 2 and May 3 threatened to disrupt work.

Also in attendance were local leaders from Muktina, Thungoi and Keimai villages and Manipur-based NGOs Centre for Research and Advocacy and Peace Core Team. Villagers worry the 2D survey is taking place without their consent and without adequate information about its impact.

None of this worries Asian. Agarwal is confident the company can complete work within the stipulated 21-month time frame or by September 2018.

Over the next few months the company will deploy over 200 crew. "We've told Oil India about the protests," says Agarwal.

"There is no problem." Agarwal compares the situation to similar protests by farmers in Gujarat and dismisses the presence of armed insurgent groups in sensitive Manipur as no cause for panic. "Not a single (seismic) survey," adds Agarwal, "takes place without such problems."

Asian is also shooting surveys for Oil India in Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. When contacted Jiten Yumnam, secretary for the Centre for Research and Advocacy, accused Asian of failing to hold a public hearing or consultation. Yumnam said the rights of indigenous people must be respected. But a government official (requesting anonymity) tells us hearings and consultations are mandatory only before drilling. "This is a (seismic) survey," he stresses. Suspicion of NGOs is deep-rooted in the Manipur state government. An Intelligence Bureau report in 2014 accused Dutch organisation CORDAID of encouraging protests against oil exploration in Manipur and the north-east at large. Jubilant Oil and Gas was targeted for its exploration activities at AA-ONN-2009/2. Manipur, a former princely state, is known as the birthplace of the modern game of polo and agriculture is the states's main economic driver.

Asian is also shooting surveys for Oil India in Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. When contacted Jiten Yumnam, secretary for the Centre for Research and Advocacy, accused Asian of failing to hold a public hearing or consultation. Yumnam said the rights of indigenous people must be respected. But a government official (requesting anonymity) tells us hearings and consultations are mandatory only before drilling. "This is a (seismic) survey," he stresses. Suspicion of NGOs is deep-rooted in the Manipur state government. An Intelligence Bureau report in 2014 accused Dutch organisation CORDAID of encouraging protests against oil exploration in Manipur and the north-east at large. Jubilant Oil and Gas was targeted for its exploration activities at AA-ONN-2009/2. Manipur, a former princely state, is known as the birthplace of the modern game of polo and agriculture is the states's main economic driver.